TRYING TO ESCAPE THE DELUGE. 



^ 



minds me of an anecdote related by Noah soon after the 

 subsidence of the flood, and it shows that impudence is, at 

 least, not post-deluvian in its origin. It seems that there 

 were in the world before, as well as after the flood, some 

 very meddling impudent fellows, who were always interfering 

 with other people's business, claiming a share of other 

 people's credit, trying to make the world believe that they 

 were great things, and pursuading everybody that whatever 

 remarkable achievement was accomplished, occurred through 

 their counsel and advice, and as a consequence, claiming a 

 large share of all the honors going. 



" Well, after the rain had continued falling for a number 

 of days, and the valleys were all full of water, and the angry 

 Urges went roaring, with the voice of ten thousand thunders, 

 high up along the sides of the hills, one of these pestilent 

 fellows deriding the miraculous exhibition going on all 

 around him undertook, in his self-conceit, to lead the peo- 

 ple to a place of safety. So he selected a lofty peak that 

 shot up from a range of mountains, and commenced travel- 

 ling up its steep acclivities. But the flood followed him, 

 roaring, and boiling, and heaving, in its onward rush. Day 

 by day, night by night, it crept up, and up, higher and 

 higher, until the self-confident leader, who scoffed at the 

 supernatural warning, had but a mighty small place above 

 the surge, whereon to shelter himself from the destruction 

 that surrounded him. About that time the Ark, with Noah 

 and his people, all safe and snug, came drifting that way. 

 "' Halloo !' says the occupant of the rock, 'send us a 



